This invention relates generally to the field of athletic shoes and more specifically to system for active and controlled shoe cleats.
There are a variety of prior art systems for extending cleats from a shoe but none have used the innovative combination of active electronic sensing and active drive control of the present invention. There are a number of patents that disclose a variety of retractable and extendable cleats, including U.S. Pat. No. 5,740,619. entitled “Retractable Stud”; U.S. Pat. No. 5,313,718. entitled “Athletic Shoe With Bendable Traction Projections”; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,873,774. entitled “Shoe Sole With Retractable Cleats.” None of these patents shows the innovative combination of the present invention and its use of ambient sensors and active systems for deploying traction enhancing elements on the shoe. Other patents such as U.S. Pat. No. 6,182,381. entitled “Sole of baseball spiked shoe and method of measuring shearing stress distribution of baseball spiked shoe” discuss means for measuring stresses on shoes using accelerometers and other sensors to provide information that can be used in enhancing shoe design but do not show the innovative combination of the present invention. The use of accelerometers and other sensors in ambient conditions has been disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,456,027. to Tecchio et al. entitled “Athletic Shoe With A Detachable Sole Having An Electronic Breakaway System” but does not disclose an active cleat system whose purpose is to actively enhance traction of the shoe according the present invention. These types of sensors and control circuitry may be employed in a new and different application according to the present invention by activating cleats or other surface traction devices based on readings provided by the sensors and other circuitry.
In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, there is shown an active shoe cleat system with a shoe having a sole portion for supporting the wearer's foot, at least one chamber provided in the sole portion, a processor in the chamber operably connected to a plurality of cleats on the bottom of the shoe, at least one sensor in the shoe that measures at least one parameter pertaining to movement of the shoe, a projection within the cleat that is deployed in response to a control signal from the processor, the control signal is generated in response to data processed by the processor from information provided in part by the sensor and means for urging the projection outward from within the cleat.
In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, there is also shown an active shoe cleat system with a shoe having a sole portion for supporting the wearer's foot, at least one chamber provided in the sole portion, a processor in the chamber operably connected to a generator of fluid pressure that engages at least one cleat on the bottom of the shoe, at least one sensor in the shoe that measures at least one parameter pertaining to the movement of the shoe, a projection within the cleat that is deployed in response to fluid pressure from the generator in response to a control signal from the processor where the control signal is generated in response to data processed by the processor from information provided in part by the sensor.
In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, there is shown an athletic shoe for increasing traction as well as speed and efficiency of manuverability with a sole member having a plurality of ground-contacting cleats, the cleats operably connected to a central processing unit, the cleat being movable between an extended position and a retracted position in response to sensing means, means for holding the cleats in the extended position and means for releasing the members to the retracted position, control means for releasing the holding means and for allowing the release means to move the cleat to the release position when a force exceeds a preset level in response to sensing means, and sensing means for sensing the force applied to the lower sole member and for signaling the control means for moving the cleats to the extended position.